China's Xi Jinping says he is ready to address differences with South Korea

Beijing: Chinese president Xi Jinping said on Thursday that he is ready to make concerted efforts with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in to address the differences between the two countries.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Moon on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-South Korea diplomatic relations, Xinhua news agency reported.

File image of Chinese president Xi Jinping. Reuters

Xi said: "With concerted efforts by China and South Korea, bilateral relations kept developing since the establishment of diplomatic ties 25 years ago, bringing tangible benefits and making positive contributions to regional peace and development in the two countries."

Xi called on both sides to treasure the achievements and said he stands ready to join efforts with Moon to consolidate political mutual trust, properly address differences and push for the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations.

Earlier, Beijing and Seoul engaged in rows over the US anti-missile system Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), which prompted China to impose a covert boycott of South Korean interests.

While Seoul and Washington say that the system, installed on South Korean territory, was designed to intercept North Korean missiles, China believes its deployment has only escalated tensions in the region.

China also considers the system a threat to its security. It fears that its powerful radars could be used to obtain information from its military facilities and has repeatedly warned that it would take measures to protect its interests.